Electric-car fans drive for record

Even if it’s not in the “Guinness Book of World Records,” a recent electric vehicle test-drive event at Level 3 Communications Inc. in Broomfield certainly counts as a record nonetheless.

Some 200 people drove Chevy Volts, Nissan Leafs, an electric pick-up truck from VIA Motors and BYD E-6, a hybrid sports utility vehicle, at the event.

Folks from the Drive SunShine Institute signed in each and every drive, recorded the cars’ mileage and snapped photos, said Ken Beitel, advisory board chairman at the Boulder-based educational institute.

Originally, Drive SunShine paid Guinness $700 to get a world record title, Beitel said.

When questions arose about how to create a new category about test drives, Drive SunShine decided to get its money back and move forward on its own, Beitel said.

Drive SunShine created its own “test-drive” definition and documented the procedure, Beitel said. Former Gov. Bill Ritter spoke at the event, which was held at the Level 3 at 1025 Eldorado Drive in the Interlocken business park.

Of Level 3’s 2,800-or-so employees, four have electric vehicles, Beitel said. Boulder Nissan offered folks at the event monthly lease rates of $150, suggesting that more local drivers may soon be behind the wheels of Nissan Leafs in the future, though, Beitel said.

Drive SunShine funding comes from individual donations, from foundations and from corporate sponsorships. To find out more about the event, go to: drivesunshine.org.